Merchandising container



M c. P. WELLMAN 2,072,695

HEHCHANDISING CONTAINER Filed July 2, 1932 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR filmrles I. fillmam ATTORNEYS March 2, 192.7. P, WEL MAN 2,072,695

MERCHANDI S ING CONTAINER Filed July 2. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fiaries ZIW/lrnan g q- M ATTORNEYS Mud, 2, 1937. P, WELLMAN 2,072,695

MERCHANDISING CONTAINER Filed July 2.. I932 3-Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR (lzg r les Z Wilma ATTO.REYS- atenied Mar. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MERCHANDISING CONTAINER Charles P. Wellman, West Medici-d, Mass. Application July 2, 1932, Serial No. 620,563

' 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-44) This invention relates to merchandising containers, and more particularly to a paperboard container in which merchandise of various kinds may be packed and. shipped, and from which it 5 may be dispensed and displayed by the merchant or user as needed.

This application constitutes an improvement on my co-pending applications, Serial No. 433,010, filed March a, 1930, and Serial No. 447,262, filed 10 April 25, 1930. I do not claim herein any patentable features disclosed in my former applications or their divisions.

Merchandise containers, as heretofore made, has been extravagant in the use of paper mate- 15 rials. When millions of containers are used yearly, as in the packaging of nationally advertised products, such as cigarettes, cigars, chewing um, candies, cosmetics, pencils and other objects of merchandise, the item of waste material 20 in the making of the container represents a considerable loss. Many containers heretofore used are also dimcult to pack quickly and eilectively, and, when received by the merchant are also difficult and annoying to unpack. Cartons must be ripped apart and are often torn in the process, while customers are waiting to make a purchase of a single pack. This is especially true of the small cigarette cartons which contain ten or more packs of cigarettes. And again, when containers, now in use, are placed on the-counter and opened for display of the goods therein, articles contained therein are easily lifted out by deft fingers and stolen.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing container within which the goods may be quickly and efllciently packed and shipped, and which can be easily and conveniently opened by the merchant to display the merchandise therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide 40 a merchandise package which can be placed on the counter to attractively display the merchandise, and which is provided with means which make it very difiicult, if not impossible, for anyone to remove merchandise therefrom without 45 obvious change in the structure of the package.

Another object of my invention is to provide a. merchandise package in which merchandise may be attractively displayed, from which the same may be conveniently and individually dispensed,

50 and which is also provided. with means which makes it diflicult for deft fingers to remove merchandise therefrom without being observed by the s'alesclerk.

Another object of my invention is to provide a 55 merchandising container which can be made from a single blank of paperboard material with a minimum of waste and a minimum of labor, and which can be quickly, efl'ectively and economically formed and packed by hand or automatic machinery. and which can be efiiciently and at- 5 tractively used as a dispensing medium and display device by the merchant.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the disclosure proceeds. 1

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a face view of a cutout blank from which a container may be formed;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the container in process of assembly;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container in the process of being packed;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the container fully packed and sealed;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the container in the process of being opened to permit removal of the contents;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the container fully opened with one of the articles being dispensed therefrom;

18. 7 is a face view of a blank from which a container having a somewhat modified closure arrangement may be made;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a container in process of assembly from the blank shown in Fig. '1;

Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary end views of the container shown in Fig. 8 in the process of being closed;

Fig. 11 is a face view of a fragmentary portion of a blank from which a container having another type of closure arrangement may be made, this container also having a display easel which may be used to advertise the goods packed therein;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a set-up container formed from the blank shown in Fig. 11, the easel portion thereof being shown raised into display position; and I 50 Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the container shown in Fig. 12 in the process of reclosing the same.

The same reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the specification and drawings.

than

Ihere is shownin Fig. 1 a blank of paperboard material from which one form of merchandising container may be formed. This blank comprises generally side wall portions it and i2 hinged'to the bottom wall portion ii along the score lines 2d. Side wall portion H] has an end. wall portion it at one end thereof, and a securing tab i5 atthe other end thereof, hinged thereto along the score lines 2i. Side wall portion i2 is also provided with an end wall portion it and securing tabit, hinged thereto along the score lines 2i. It will be noted, however, that the end wall it hinged to side wall it, and end wall it hinged to side wall i2 are on opposite ends of the blank. A bottom securing tab id is hinged to each end of the bottom portion it along the score line 2!. A pair of side closure flaps it are provided, which are hinged to the side walls it and i2 respectively along the score lines 2t. End flaps ii are also provided, which are hinged along the score lines it to each oi the end wall portions i3. End flaps ii are separated from the side flaps it by a cut id. The side wall i2 is provided with a score line 2 2, which defines an inner area 23, which may be of the general shape shown in Fig. 1.

'In assembling the container, the side walls it and i2 and the securing tabs i i and it are bent upwardly at right angles to the bottom portion ii. Securing tabs id and it are then glued or otherwise secured to the end walls it as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the edge 25 of securing flap i5 and edgetd of securing flap it are in abutment when the container is fully assembled. The end wall portion it is thereby considerably braced and stifiened, and a stronger container is formed. The other edge. as of the securing flaps i i are cut out so as to clear and not interfere or prevent the bending up of the end wall portion it into the assembled posi- The container thus formed is now ready for pacmng with merchandise M, which may be cigarette packs or other articles. These articles may be inserted either by hand or by packing machine, as found convenient or desirable. When the container is fully packed, the end flaps ii are bent inwardly, the side flaps it are superimposed thereover, and the container is sealed by securing a sealing strip 28 over the abutting edges of the flaps it, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The packed container is then ready for shipment to the merchant or user.

Upon receipt by the merchant, the shipping container can be quickly turned into an attractive display and dispensing container by removing the area 2d of the side wall portion 82. This can be easily and quickly done by tearingthe side wall along the line of perforations 22, as shown in Fig. 5. When the container is then placed on the counter with the side wall portion 82 facing upward, as shown in Fig. 6, the merchandise M is full visible therein, and printed matter thereon can be easily read. All that remains of the side wall portion it is a flange portion iii, which surrounds both ends thereof. It will be noted that the merchandise positioned under the surrounding flange portions 27 cannot be lifted out since this flange engages the merchandise and prevents direct removal thereof. At one point the side wall portion i2 is tom p s by l g the articles over to the en-.

aovaeos larged opening 28 and then lifting the articles out of the container, as shown in Fig. 6. While the merchandise removal opening is shown positioned in the middle section oi the container, it may also be positioned at either one or both ends, as found convenient and desirable. The flange 271 surrounds all other portions so as to prevent removal of merchandise except-through the particular opening provided.

It' is well known that many States require that excise stamps be attached to cigarette packs and tobacco products before the same can be legally sold by the merchant. In tobacco containers heretofore devised, the merchant has had to remove each individual cigarette or tobacco pack from the container in order to apply the required stamp thereto. If the packs are then reinserted into the container, no convenient means have heretofore been provided for closing the same to protect the goods until sold. I have attempted'to overcome these objectionable features in containers heretofore devised for packing tobacco products by providing a distinctive closure arrangement which can be opened and stamps applied without removing the packs from the container, and which may thereafter be efiiciently and fully closed to protect the contents until sold and dispensed.

In this connection I have shown a cutout blank in Fig. 7 which is similar to the blank shown in Fig. 1, except for the closure feature which will now be described. Each of the end wall portions it is provided with an end flap dd hinged to the end wall along the score line 33. The

end flap at is provided with side parts di and t2 scribed by gluing or otherwise fixing the side tabs i and bottom tabs i l to the end walls it. The tab parts it are also glued to the side parts ii of the end flaps, and the ear parts at are glued to the inside face or the end flaps dd, as shown in Fig. 8.

When this container has been fully packed, the end nap portions in are pushed inwardly, and this operation also pulls the side flaps it inwardly. One of the side flaps it is provided with cut corners 5t which permit the same to be inserted between the folded parts di and 32 or the end flaps and to seat under the opposite The side flaps it are preferably made of greater width than the side flaps of the blank shown in Fig. i, so as to permit one side flap to extend under the other. When the merchant receives this packed container, the sealing strip 28 is easily broken and the side flaps it sprung apart. Full access to the container may then be had for applying revenue stamps and other labels. This can be done without removing the packs or contents from the container. The side flaps it are then telescoped together, as above described, and the container closed: The front wall area 23 may then be torn out in the manner heretofore describedand the containersetupfordisplay and disp nsin purposes- There is shown in Fig. 11 a container formed from a blank similar tothat shown in Fig. 1. except that it is provided with a modified closing arrangement and a display device. In this modifled form one of the side flaps I3 is provided with an arcuate cut 33 at each end thereof, each out being adapted to receive an ear portion 3| provided at each end of the other side closure flap IS. A slot 32 may also be provided in the closure flap it first mentioned to receive a tongue portion 33 provided on the other closure flap. By means of the cooperating cuts 33 and ears 3i, and the cooperating slot 32 and tongue 33, the carton may be securely closed. A sealing strip 23 may also be applied over this form of closure after the container is packed. This container is susceptible of being opened for the purposes of fixing excise stamps to the contents therein, and

then securely closed to protect the contents.

There is shown in Fig, 12 a set-up container formed from the blank shown in Fig. 11. The container here shown is provided with a display easel which is formed from the area 23 of the side wall portion i2, which is normally thrown away. This display easel is made by providing a score line 34 transversely across the center portion of the area 23. The perforated line 22, which defines the area 23, runs to the score line 2i. The area 23 may be folded upon itself by bending the same along the score line 34 and hinging the same along the score line 2i. The free end of the area 23 may be held in place in any suitable manner. An attractive display easel adapted to carry suitable advertising is thus provided.

The merchandise containers herein disclosed are very useful in connection with the packing,

shipping, dispensing and display of cigarettes, I

cigars, cosmetics, cards, pencils, pens, crayons, candies, gum, confectionery and an infinite variety of small articles, either wrapped or unwrapped. The dispensing opening is made of such size and shape as to fit the article to be dispensed. By means of the containers herein disclosed,aclerkcansurveyandattendtoalarger number of containers on display, since the merchandise cannot be removed without manipulating the same over to the removal opening and then removing the same. A reasonably diligent clerk would detect any such m a H operation before the same could be executed. These containers therefore constitute a decided safeguard against shop lifting operations. A display device can also be associated with the container, as shown in Fig. 12, at substantially no extra cost. Furthermore, little or no waste of material results in the formation of these containers and the same can be easily and quickly formed on automatic machinery, from a single blank of material.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A combination shipplns display and dispensing container comprising a unitary blank having a rectangular bottom portion provided with end flaps, complementary side wall portions also provided with end flaps, and a top portion embracing inturned end flaps each integral with another end -flap of the container, and longitudinally extending side flaps coextensive in length with the length of the container and adapted when closed to completely shut the top wall of the container,

of the container.

CHARLES P. WHITMAN. 

